Winterwatch is return to our screens on Monday 20 January, bringing some much needed joy to this dreary time of year. One of the BBC’s core nature programmes, alongside Springwatch, this year's edition will be presented by Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams.
- When is Winterwatch back on TV?
- Where is Springwatch filmed?
- How is Springwatch filmed? We go behind the scenes
Where is Winterwatch filmed?
This year, Winterwatch will be based in a new location: the National Trust’s Mount Stewart, on the shores of Strangford Lough in County Down, Northern Ireland.
Strangford Lough is the UK’s largest sea lough (or lake) and one of Europe’s key wildlife habitats, stretching from Angus Rock at its mouth on the Irish sea, to the vast sand-flats at its northern end 20 miles away, making it the perfect place for Winterwatch to set up camp.
History of Strangford Lough
Strangford Loch and its surroundings are dripping with history dating back thousands of years, when mesolithic hunter gatherers, Vikings and Norman invaders passed through, leaving their mark on the landscape.
Mesolithic shell middens (piles of discarded shells) dating back to 7,000 BC have been discovered in the area, proof that our ancestors made the most of the mussels, oysters, cockles and other shellfish that would have been abundant in the surrounding waters.
One of the most impressive and important historic discoveries in Northern Ireland is the Neolithic log boat at Strangford Lough, discovered at Greyabbey Bay in 2000 by the Centre for Maritime Archaeology as part of a lough-wide survey.
Radiocarbon-dating of the wood revealed the boat to have been built between 3,499 and 3,032 BC, making it over 5,000 years old, the oldest boat in Ireland found in a marine setting.
By the 18th century, the quays around Strangford Lough were bustling with industry, with fishing and boat building being the main trades of the day, as well as the production of ‘kelp’ – the name given to the burned ashes of seaweed. There are still numerous clues to the scale and importance of the kelp industry, including kelp grids, kelp kilns, and help houses.
What wildlife inhabits Strangford Lough?
Strangford Lough is one of only three designated Marine Nature Reserves in the United Kingdom and home to a plethora of wildlife unrivalled in Europe.
Jack Bootle, the BBC's head of specialist factual commissioning, said Mount Stewart was "beautiful and teeming with wildlife", making it the "perfect" location for Winterwatch.
Over 2,000 incredible different types of marine animals including porpoises, seals, and otters can be seen from the shores, as well as red squirrels inland, and more than 80,000 wintering birds at this time of year including knots, redshanks, peregrines and merlins, and the short-eared owl. A majestic humpback whale has even been spotted swimming through the Narrows at Portaferry.
Filming at Strangford Lough
To capture the natural magic of Strangford Lough, live cameras will be set up across the base.
"We know how much BBC audiences will enjoy getting to see more of Mount Stewart and its wildlife," said BBC Northern Ireland's director Adam Smyth.
"We are delighted to be working with BBC Studios and the Natural History Unit in bringing this large-scale BBC outside broadcast to Northern Ireland," he said. "It should be a perfect start to the new television year."
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